9781580083188

From award-winning author and renowned cooking instructor James Peterson, a full-color cookbook of more than 200 time-efficient recipes that put dinner on the table with minimal prep, while delivering maximum flavor. With Kitchen Simple, James Peterson reminds us that good food does not need to be complicated. For this volume, he has focused his mastery of all things culinary into creating streamlined recipes that are easy to make and extraordinarily satisfying to eat. All of the dishes in this diverse collection require a minimum of active prep time (in most cases no more than 30 minutes) and nearly all can be on the table in under an hour. Cooks of all skill levels will appreciate Peterson#x19;s artful approach to cooking that results in simple and delicious flavors. Who knew that Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce, Tuscan Bread and Tomato Salad, Thai-Style Hot and Sour Soup, and Roast Pears with Butterscotch Sauce could all be considered fast food?

Food writer, cooking instructor and photographer--James Peterson is a Renaissance man who began his culinary career as a restaurant cook in Paris in the 1970s. Returning to the United States in the 1980s, Peterson honed his French cooking techniques as chef-partner at Le Petit Robert in New York. A highly regarded teacher for more than two decades, Peterson teaches at the Institute of Culinary Education (formerly Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School). His first book, Sauces, won two James Beard Awards; Vegetables, Glorious French Food, Cooking, and Baking have earned him four more James Beard awards. Peterson lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Acknowledgments, xi
Introduction, 1
Ingredients, 2
Equipment, 6
Cooking Techniques, 13

Hors d’Oeuvres 19
Tapenade, 20
Frico, 20
Hot Cheese and Crackers, 20
Gougères, 21
Spicy Guacamole, 22
Avocados with Hazelnut Vinaigrette, 23
Avocados on Toast, 23
Cold Leeks in Vinaigrette, 24
Celeriac Rémoulade, 25
Radish Toasts, 25
Celery Sticks with Roquefort, 26
Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomato-Garlic Toasts, 26
White Bean Bruschetta, 27
Prosciutto and Melon, 28
Chicken Liver Bruschetta, 28
Shrimp Cocktail, 30
Barbecued Oysters, 30
Oysters with Mignonette, 31
Blinis, 32
Salmon Tartare, 32
Steak Tartare, 33
Egg Salad Sandwiches, 33

Soups 35
Leek and Potato Soup, 36
Cream of Asparagus Soup, 37
Cream of Pea Soup, 37
Cream of Cauliflower Soup, 38
Lentil Soup, 38
Spring Vegetable Soup with Pesto, 39
Chicken Broth, 40
Fresh Corn Soup, 41
Garlic Soup with Poached Eggs, 41
Late Summer Tomato Soup, 42
Mexican-Style Gazpacho, 43
Tomatillo Soup, 43
French Onion Soup, 44
Miso Soup, 45
Thai Hot and Sour Soup, 46
Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup, 46
Vietnamese-Style Aromatic Soup with Noodles, 47

Salads 49
Simple Green Salad, 50
Caesar Salad, 52
Iceberg Wedges with Roquefort Dressing, 53
Curied Coleslaw, 53
Winter Greens with Goat Cheese Toasts, 54
Wild Dandelion and Bacon Salad, 54
Wilted Radicchio Salad with Bacon and Oranges, 55
Endive and Orange Zest Salad, 55
Mushroom and Tarragon Salad, 56
Fennel Salad, 56
Baby Artichoke and Pecan Salad, 58
Bell Pepper and Anchovy Salad, 58
Asparagus and Morel Mushroom Salad, 59
Thai Cucumber Salad with Peanuts, 60
Indian Cucumber and Yogurt Salad with Mint, 61
Moroccan Spiced Carrot Salad, 62
Beets in Vinaigrette, 62
Citrus Salad, 64
Orange and Red Onion Salad with Black Olives, 64
Tomato and Basil Salad, 65
Tomato and Mozzarella Salad, 65
Tuscan Bread and Tomato Salad, 66
Bulgur Salad with Almonds and Herbs, 66
Potato Salad, 67
Parisian-Style Potato Salad, 67
Chickpea and Mint Salad, 68
Lentil Salad, 68
Summer Steak Salad, 69
Fresh Tuna Salad, 71
Summer Duck Salad, 71

Vegetables 73
Buttered Peas, 74
Buttered Green Beans, 74
Green Beans with Garlic, Anchovies, and Pepper Flakes, 75
Sautéed Broccoli with Garlic, 75
Japanese-Style Cold Broccoli Rabe, 76
Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Pine Nuts, 76
Sautéed Zucchini with Garlic and Parsley, 76
Sautéed Mushrooms with Garlic and Lavender, 77
Red Cabbage with Bacon and Apples, 78
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, 78
Cooked Cucumbers, 79
Microwaved Artichokes, 79
Baby Artichokes with Garlic and Thyme, 80
Cold Watercress with Sesame and Ginger, 80
Sautéed Spinach with Garlic, 81
Sautéed Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins, 81
Creamed Spinach, 81
Creamed Sorrel, 83
Swiss Chard with Garlic and Anchovies, 83
Corn on the Cob, 84
Creamed Corn, 84
Glazed Radishes, 84
Glazed Carrots, 85
Glazed Shallots, 86
Braised Fennel, 86
Stuffed Zucchini, 87
Leek Gratin, 88
Cauliflower Gratin, 89
Endive Gratin, 89
Tomato Gratin, 90
Tomatoes à la Provençale, 90
Baked Eggplant, 92
Eggplant Parmigiano, 92
Stuffed Poblano Chiles, 93
Roast Onions, 94
Roast Root Vegetables, 94
Winter Squash Puree, 94
Sautéed Potatoes, 95
Roast Potatoes, 95
Gratin Dauphinois, 97
Steamed Potatoes, 97
Baked Potatoes, 97
Mashed Potatoes, 98
Fried Vegetables, 100
Steamed Vegetables, 102
Boiled or Steamed Asparagus, 102
Grilled Vegetables, 103

Cheese Dishes 105
Quesadillas, 106
Bacon and Gruyère Quiche, 106
Grilled Country Ham and Aged GoudaSandwiches, 107
Goat Cheese Soufflés, 108
Roquefort Soufflés, 109
Cheese Fondue, 109

Seafood 111
Squid Braised in Red Wine, 112
Fried Squid, 112
Steamed Lobster with Parsley Sauce, 113
Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce, 114
Soft-Shell Crab Sandwiches, 114
Curried Shrimp Cakes, 115
Sautéed Shrimp, 115
Sautéed Scallops with Garlic and Parsley Butter, 116
Steamed Mussels, 117
Mussel Salad, 117
Oyster Panfry, 118
Clam Chowder, 119
Garlic Fish Soup, 121
Tuna Steaks with Saffon Aïoli, 121
Baked Halibut with Beurre Blanc, 122
Fillets of Sole with Sherry, 122
Salmon en Papillote with Tarragon, 123
Salmon with Clams, Coconut Milk, Garlic, and Saffron, 124
Skate with Capers and Lemon, 125
Roast Whole Round Fish, 125
Poached Whole Trout, 126
Grilled Pompano, 126
Grilled Sardines, 127

Pasta and Grains 129
Polenta, 130
Sautéed Polenta, 130
Couscous, 131
Plain White Rice, 131
Porcini Mushroom Risotto, 131
Chipotle Chile Cornbread, 132
Fettuccine Alfredo, 132
Fettuccine with Pesto, 133
Pasta Gratin, 133
Pasta and Peas, 134
Pasta with Porcini Mushroom Sauce, 134
Spaghetti Carbonara, 136
Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe, 136
Spaghetti Puttanesca, 137
Spaghetti with Clams or Mussels, 137
Fussili with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Tuna, 138
Fettuccine with Mussels and Saffron, 139
Pappardelle with Shrimp, Garlic, and Olive Oil, 139
Ricotta Ravioli in Broth, 141

Meat 143
Skirt Steak with Poblano Salsa, 145
Grilled or Sautéed Porterhouse, 145
Sautéed London Broil, 146
Sautéed Flank Steak, 146
Broiled New York Steaks with Béarnaise Sauce, 148
Beef Daube, 148
Roast Whole Beef Tenderloin, 149
Beef Stroganoff, 150
Red Wine Pot Roast, 151
Beef Tacos, 152
Roast Rack of Lamb, 152
Roast Leg of Lamb, 153
Sautéed Lamb Loin Chops with White Wine and Marjoram, 154
Lamb Shish Kebabs, 154
Roast Saddle of Lamb, 156
Roast Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples, 157
Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Prunes, 159
Roast Pork Loin with Fresh Sage, 159
Sautéed Pork Chops with Mustard and Cornichon Sauce, 160
Veal Chops with Wild Mushrooms, 160
Roast Veal Shoulder Clod, 161

Poultry 163
Sautéed Chicken, 164
Faux Chicken Mole, 164
Chicken Tagine, 165
Mock Coq au Vin, 166
North Indian Grilled Chicken Kebabs, 166
Chicken Saltimbocca, 167
Roast Chicken, 168
Baked Chicken, 169
Asian Poached Chicken, 169
Fried Chicken, 170
Grilled Chicken, 170
Grilled Chicken and Tropical Fruit Salad, 171
Chicken Salad with Fresh Tarragon, 172
Stir-Fried Chicken with Cashews and Snow Peas, 173
Chicken or Turkey Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce, 175
Chicken or Turkey with Curry and Sherry, 175
Roast Turkey Breast, 176
Slow-Roasted Duck Legs with Sauerkraut, 176
Sautéed Duck Breasts, 178
Duck Confit, 179
Duck Confit and Wild Mushroom Salad, 179

Sauces 181
Hollandaise Sauce, 182
Beurre Blanc, 182
Clarified Butter, 183
Béarnaise Sauce, 183
Burgundian Red Wine Sauce, 184
Béchamel Sauce, 184
Basic Mayonnaise, 184
Aïoli, 185
Saffron Aïoli, 185
Caper and Herb Sauce, 185
Tartar Sauce, 186
Chimichurri Sauce, 186
Oven-Baked Tomato Sauce, 186
Tomatillo Sauce, 186
Mango Salsa, 187
Applesauce, 187

Desserts 189
Oranges with Raspberry Puree, 190
Peach Melba, 190
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries, 191
Raspberry Puree, 191
Roast Pears with Butterscotch Sauce, 192
Flambéed Pineapple Wedges with Rum or Kirsch, 192
Pineapple Wedges with Kirsch, 194
Bananas Flambeed with Rum, 194
Strawberries Romanoff, 195
Cherry Clafoutis, 195
Apple Crumble, 196
Raspberry Cobblers, 196
Strawberry Shortcakes, 197
Flavored Whipped Cream, 197
Lime Curd, 198
Passion Fruit Curd, 198
Raspberry Soufflés, 199
Chocolate Pudding, 199
Individual Vanilla Custards, 200
Yogurt with Cardamom and Saffron, 200
Vanilla Panna Cotta, 202
Chocolate Mousse, 202
White Chocolate Mousse, 203
Alsatian-Style Apple Tart, 203
Crispy Apple Tart, 204
Chocolate Tart with Raspberries, 204
Baked Tart Shell, 205
Fresh Fruit Tart, 206
Cheesecake, 206
Pound Cake, 207
Angel Food Cake, 208
Pavlova, 208
Meringue Cups with Strawberry Ice Cream, 209
Cream Puffs, 211
Profiteroles, 212
Crepes, 212
Crepes Suzette, 213
White Wine Granita, 213
French Vanilla Ice Cream, 214
Russian Tea Cookies, 215
Basic Butter Cookies, 216
Shortbread, 216
Brownies, 219
Zabaglione, 219

Breakfast 221
Scones, 222
Biscuits, 222
Blueberry Breakfast Cakes, 223
Golden Fruit Cake, 223
Banana Bread, 224
Apricot Bread, 224
Popovers, 225
French Toast, 225
Pancakes, 226
Waffles, 226
Scrambled Eggs, 228
Rolled Omelet, 228
Poached Eggs with Buttered Croutons, 229
Baked Eggs, 231
Fried Eggs, 231

Hot and Cold Drinks 233
Mango Mimosas, 234
Passion Fruit Margaritas, 234
The Perfect Manhattan, 234
The World’s Best Martini, 235
Bellinis, 235
My Favorite Limeade, 235
Eggnog, 236
Hot Chocolate, 236

Index, 238

What is included with this book?

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The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

Cooking Techniques
Fortunately most food is cooked using a very limited number of techniques that once understood will make cooking a lot easier.

Chopping Herbs
For most herbs, it isn’t necessary to take the leaves off the stems. This is particularly true of parsley and cilantro, which should only have the stems cut off from the bottom half. The leaves, with their small stems, can be chopped.

Use the longest knife you feel comfortable with, since the longer the knife, the more you’re cutting at once. Arrange the herbs on a cutting board along the length of the knife. Hold the knife with your thumb and forefinger gripping the handle and press the tip firmly against the board. If you’re right handed, hold the knife in your right hand. Don’t use your left hand to hold the knife blade but instead use it to gather up the herbs as you chop them and continually feed the herbs under the knife blade. Chop with a rapid up and down motion, with the tip of the knife held firmly against the cutting board. You can also lift the knife and chop with a rapid up and down motion.

Chopping Onions and Shallots
Unlike herbs, which are cut randomly, onions and shallots have their own special method. Peel the onion and cut it in half through the root end and the shoot end. With the root end away from you, slice the onion but leave the slices attached where they meet near the root end. Once you have the onion sliced in one direction, slice it sideways about three times so the slices are themselves sliced. Leave the slices attached at the root end. Slice the onions a third time, perpendicular to the other two slices. At this point the onions should fall apart into tiny pieces. If you want the onion finer, chop as though you were chopping herbs until you obtain the texture you seek.

Baking
Baking is simply cooking in the oven. Most recipes call for preheating the oven for precise timing control but if you’re baking something like potatoes, for which exact times are rarely critical, just stick the potatoes in the oven and turn the oven on.

Boiling
Foods are rarely boiled. Boiling toughens meats and causes seafood to fall apart. But green vegetables are best boiled or steamed. When boiling green vegetables such as green beans, make sure there’s plenty of boiling water; or the beans will lower the temperature and they’ll stew instead of boil. Always boil uncovered. When boiling green vegetables, toss a small handful of salt into the water to help them retain their color.

Braising
Braising is cooking in a small amount of liquid. All stews and pot roasts are braises. The purpose behind braising is to create a flavorful sauce and very tender meat. Sometimes the sauce is thickened with butter and flour, other times with a bit of butter or cream.

Often, to braise meat, first you sauté it in order to brown it and develop the flavor of caramelized juices. This method is referred to as “brown braising.” Fish is typically “white braised,” which means you do not sauté it before adding the hot braising liquid.

Braising time varies. Long braising, usually requiring an hour or two, is needed to break down tough cuts of meat and occasionally seafood (octopus and squid are often braised). Short braising is simply braising long enough for heat to penetrate to the interior of whatever’s being braised. Most fish are short braised.

Frying
Frying is cooking with a large amount of fat, essentially poaching in hot fat. To fry successfully, adjust the heat of the oil so the foods being fried cook quickly. The point is to form a crispy crust (sometimes brown, sometimes not) while just cooking the foods through. If the oil is too hot, the foods will brown or the crispy crust will form while the food remains raw inside. If, on the other hand, the oil isn’t hot enough, the foods will absorb too much oil before the crust forms.

Be careful when frying. If you don’t have a fryer, use a heavy pot. Never fill the pot more than half full of oil and keep it on the back of the stove so no one bumps into it accidentally. When you begin to fry, use a spider (see page 11) to lower a piece of the food into the hot oil so that you can judge how much the oil bubbles up when you add the food. This will give you a sense of how much you can add without the oil bubbling over. Never add foods with your hands--always use a spider or a slotted spoon--or the oil can splash up and burn you

One problem you may encounter when deep-frying is the tendency of the foods to lower the temperature of the oil. Of course, the more oil you use, the less likely this is to happen. Otherwise, control the temperature of the oil with the heat of the stove, turning it up to high to bring the temperature back up.

Glazing
Glazing is another type of braising, and is used for root vegetables that have been sectioned or rounded into football shapes by “turning.” The vegetables are placed in a sauté pan with straight sides and just enough water or broth to come halfway up their sides. The pan is then partially covered (or a sheet of aluminum foil is placed over the vegetables and the pan left uncovered) and the vegetables simmered until the surrounding liquid evaporates into a glaze that in turn coats the vegetables.

When vegetables are braised with a small amount of water or broth and a little butter, they become covered with a shiny glaze.

Grilling
For the most part, grilling is cooking directly over the heat source. The idea is to brown foods and, in so doing, scent them with smoke from the grill, while preventing fats or other liquids from the food from dripping down into the grill, burning, and flavoring the food. Nowadays, people often cook in covered grills. Essentially a covered grill is like an oven, so cooking in one is more akin to roasting than it is to grilling.

One technique, called indirect grilling, isn’t grilling at all, except at the beginning. To grill indirectly, build the fire to one side of the barbecue and start by grilling in the normal way. Once the foods are browned, assuming they’re not cooked through, move them to the side of the grill where there’s no heat and cover the grill. This roasts and smokes the foods in order to finish cooking them through. This technique works especially well for large pieces of meat, such as rib roasts, turkeys, loins of pork, or legs of lamb.

Poaching
Unlike braising, which is cooking in a small amount of liquid, poaching is cooking in an abundance of liquid. The purpose of poaching is to cook evenly, with some of the flavor of the poaching liquid going into the food being poached but not, as in braising, the other way around. Poaching seafood is especially common and is usually accomplished with a vegetable broth called a court bouillon.

Sauces for poached foods are usually made independently from the poaching liquid. Beurre blanc, hollandaise, and mayonnaise (see pages 182-84) are all served with poached foods. Occasionally some of the poaching liquid is added to the sauce to thin it or give it a little of the character of the poached item.

Roasting
The purpose behind most roasting is to provide the roast with a brown savory crust while leaving it evenly cooked throughout. The best approach to roasting is to leave the roast in a hot oven long enough to brown it, and then lower the oven temperature to give the heat time to penetrate. In general, the smaller the roast, the hotter the oven should be. A turkey, for example, can be roasted in a relatively low oven (about 350°F) because the cooking time is long enough to ensure browning even at lower temperatures. A quail, on the other hand, is so small that to brown it without overcooking it would require an oven that reaches 1000°F. For this reason, small roasts such as quails are usually browned on the stove before being finished in the oven.

Then there’s the question of the jus or gravy. The sad truth is that roasted meat releases very little in the way of juices. For this reason, it’s helpful to put bones and trimmings in the roasting pan along with the roast so there’s something to provide juices.

There are two ways to separate the fat from the juices. If the juices are scarce, simply boil them down in the roasting pan until they caramelize into a crust on the bottom of the pan. Then pour off the fat and deglaze the pan by adding a small amount of water or broth to the pan to dissolve the juices. If the roast has been more generous and there is a lot of juice in the pan, then boiling it down to caramelize it is impractical. Instead, pour the juices into a glass container and skim off the fat that floats to the top with a ladle.

A gravy is a jus thickened with flour and butter and cooked until toasty or with cornstarch mixed with a little water and whisked into the jus. When using either of these thickeners, bring the mixture to a simmer for the thickening to take effect.

Sautéing (Pan-Frying)
Basically, sautéing is cooking in a small amount of fat to brown foods and seal in their flavor. The fat isn’t typically absorbed by the foods being sautéed; it’s just there for lubrication and to prevent the food from sticking to the pan.

There are two ways to sauté. In one method, the food is rapidly tossed or stirred over high heat. In the second method, sometimes called “pan-frying,” the food is placed in the pan, browned, and then carefully turned over.

It’s important to choose a pan that fits the food being sautéed so it can be held in a single layer. If the pan is too small, the food is crowded and won’t brown properly. In fact, the food will release water and steam. In some cases, such as when sautéing mushrooms or scallops, the foods should be added to the hot pan only a small number at a time so that they don’t lower the temperature of the pan and thus inhibit browning.

The temperature needed for sautéing depends on the foods being sautéed. Because it releases water only slowly and is fairly thick, chicken can be browned over medium heat. Foods that release water or that need less cooking time, such as mushrooms or scallops, should be cooked over the highest heat so they brown without releasing water or overcooking. Sautéing should always be performed uncovered.

Simmering
It’s important to distinguish simmering from boiling. In many recipes, especially those for broths and braised dishes, the liquid should barely simmer, or “smile” as the French would say. Avoid boiling these dishes or you’ll churn fat and scum back into the braising liquid.

Steaming
To steam, place the food in a steamer suspended over boiling liquid so the steam rises and comes in contact with the food. Steaming is most popular for fish and vegetables.

Stir-Frying
Really a kind of sautéing, stir-frying involves keeping the food in constant motion over very high heat. A wok is ideal for this because its smooth sides and generous volume make it easy to keep the foods in motion. Unfortunately, to stir-fry authentically, you’ll need a very hot heat source to allow foods to brown almost the instant they come in contact with the heat. When stir-frying over a normal home stove, it is sometimes necessary to stop stirring from time to time to allow the foods time to brown.

Sweating
Not to be confused with sautéing, sweating is cooking over low to medium heat so that foods (usually vegetables, such as carrots or onions) release water and cook without browning. Most directions for sweating say to do it covered so that the moisture released turns into steam and cooks the foods. The only disadvantage to this is that it’s easy to forget and let foods burn. If you use mild heat, you can sweat uncovered.

Hors d’Oeuvres

Keep in mind that you can turn a simple meal into something a little more elegant by serving the food in courses. Doing so will prolong the meal and give everyone the sense that you went to much more effort than you actually did. A light cocktail or aperitif--even the nonalcoholic limeade on page 235--will perk up the appetite and enhance almost any meal.

Tapenade
Tapenade is a southern French olive spread that makes a delicious hors d’oeuvre on little pieces of toast. Traditionally made in a mortar and pestle, tapenade is a snap to make, provided you start out with pitted olives and use a food processor. Don’t overwork the olives and turn the tapenade into a stiff paste; it should have the consistency of pickle relish. Tapenade often contains capers (in fact, the word “tapenade” is derived from an old dialect meaning “capers”), but this version contains raisins instead. The raisins contribute sweetness--a welcome counterpoint to the saltiness of the olives--though admittedly a bit of an anomaly.

Makes 8 hors d’oeuvre servings

1/2 cup raisins, soaked in just enough water to cover, for 30 minutes
3/4 pound pitted black olives, such as Niçoise
French bread toasts, to serve

Drain the raisins and puree them in a food processor with about a third of the olives. Add the rest of the olives and pulse until the mixture has the consistency of fine pickle relish. Serve on toasted French bread.

Frico
These make a great emergency hors d’oeuvre if all you have in the house is a chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano. You’ll also need a nonstick baking sheet or, better yet, a sheet pan lined with a silicone mat.

Makes 8 hors d’oeuvre servings

4 cups (1/2 pound) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Divide the cheese into thirty mounds on a nonstick or silicone-lined sheet pan and gently flatten the mounds with the back of a spoon until they measure about 2 inches in diameter for flat rounds or 3 inches in diameter for tuiles, which are curved fricos. Bake until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Let the fricos cool slightly, gently remove them from the sheet pan with a spatula, and transfer to a plate, or for tuiles, a rolling pin or bottle.

Hot Cheese and Crackers
This makes a quick hors d’oeuvre and is especially easy if you happen to have everything in the house. The most important ingredient is, of course, the cheese. Try virtually any good hard cheese, such as Gruyère, Emmental, Gouda (preferably aged), Cheddar (English or American), or Comté. Just about any type of cracker will work here--use your favorite type.

Makes 8 hors d’oeuvre servings

4 cups (1/2 pound) hard cheese
24 crackers
2 teaspoons chopped fresh or dried thyme or marjoram (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Slice the cheese and place it on the crackers. Sprinkle with the herbs and slide into the oven. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Gougères

These little cheese puffs have become the hors d’oeuvre du jour. Fortunately they are easy to make. Traditionally made with Gruyère, this version calls for Parmigiano-Reggiano since it’s drier and makes the gougères lighter. The only scary part of these is they require using a pastry bag which, admittedly, takes a little practice.

Makes about 40 bite-sized puffs

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, sliced
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch
1 cup flour
7 large eggs, or more as needed
About 2 cups (1/4 pound) Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
Salt
Pepper

Put the butter in a saucepan with the water and salt. Bring to a simmer over high heat and dump in the flour. Work the mixture over the heat with a wooden spoon until the flour is mixed in and the dough pulls away from the sides of the saucepan, about 1 minute. Transfer to a mixing bowl and work in the eggs, one by one. The dough has the right number of eggs when a thick groove made with a wooden spoon closes in on itself. Work in the cheese and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch plain tip, fold down the upper part to make a cuff, and fill the bag halfway with the dough. (See box on page 211 for more about pastry bags.) Unfold the cuff and seal in the dough. Pipe out the cheese puffs into small mounds of about 11/2 tablespoons each onto a nonstick sheet pan or a regular sheet pan lined with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of space among them.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately.

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Kitchen Simple: Essential Recipes for Everyday Cooking

Kitchen Simple: Essential Recipes for Everyday Cooking

1580083188

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